


Forbidden

by unsernameinuse



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-07-18 13:41:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7317517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unsernameinuse/pseuds/unsernameinuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Wells has rules about romance in the workplace. No one agrees with him, but especially not Barry and Cisco.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forbidden

**Author's Note:**

> This fic isn't set at a particular time in the first season, just pre-sadness and betrayal. Back when they were a beautiful team.
> 
> I'm in no way associated with DC comics and own none of this.

“No,” Harrison Wells said in his flattest tone “absolutely not.”

Barry nodded in acceptance. He had expected as much. “I just thought-” he began

“You thought wrong.” his mentor interrupted. Barry thought he seemed a little more impatient than the situation warranted but didn’t say so. It was a good thing he didn’t. He had no way of knowing that Harrison had found himself involved in an almost identical conversation (argument) with Cisco a week before, and he was getting a little tired of it.

“This is for the safety of the team,” he found himself saying for the second (but what felt like the thousandth) time. “In order for all of us to stay safe in the midst of all the dangers we’re facing we need to be focused. If your focus is on “hooking up” as they say, with your teammate then we’ve already lost."

“It’s not like that at all,” Barry protested. He drew his hands through his hair in frustration. “Nothing would change and it would be better if we just talked about it. I feel like I’m lying to him.”

Dr Wells eyebrows drew together. He didn’t budge. “I would rather you feel like you’re lying than you two go through a messy breakup and compromise not only your own safety but the safety of everyone in Central City.”

Invoking the safety of the citizens did the trick. Barry deflated like a balloon with a needle under it’s skin. 

“Okay,” he said softly. "Maybe you're right." He turned on his heel and left the cortex. He wasn't being particularly aware of his surroundings and bumped into Cisco in the hallway. His teammate reached out to steady him. 

“Barry? You don’t look too good man, are you okay?”

The sight of Cisco’s concerned eyes trained on his almost undid him. He flashed a tired, shaky smile and mumbled something about needing to get home to Joe. Then he disappeared, leaving Cisco in a gust of wind. He didn’t want to be rude, but if Cisco kept looking at him with Those Eyes he was liable to let the words  _ I love you  _ fall out of his mouth without even realizing it.

  
  


Life in the lab went back to normal, or something resembling it. They fought crime and hid it from everyone, except on top of that Caitlin felt like she was caught in the middle of a very awkward staring contest. One where the winner was whoever stared the longest while the other person wasn’t aware of it.

It got to the point that she decided to approach Dr. Wells about it, but he cut her off before she could get out a complete thought. 

“No,” he said, with a stern  _ and that’s final  _ left unsaid. “It would be too much of a distraction.”

Caitlin personally thought it could hardly be _more_ of a distraction. Barry turned to putty anytime Cisco touched him even in a friendly way, and god forbid Barry bend over in the Flash suit anywhere in Cisco’s vicinity.

“Besides,” Wells said after a moment “It's puppy love. It'll blow over soon.”

For once, the great doctor was wrong. 

 

As a matter of fact, Cisco and Barry seemed to fall more painfully in love every day. It evolved to the point that they both seemed to know without saying it. Barry would keep Cisco company at late nights in the lab. Cisco would drop by the West home to chat with Barry and Joe would find them laughing together hours later when the sun had gone down. They would take turns showing up to STAR labs with presents and surprises for each other. Cups of coffee, books, snacks, all kinds of trinkets and gadgets. "It just made me think of you" became a common phrase.

 

Finally, months after his initial ruling Dr. Wells, with Caitlin right behind him, wheeled into the cortex to find Cisco and Barry staring blissfully into each other's eyes and smiling like dopes in absolute silence.

“Oh for the sake of-okay fine!” He threw up his hands and shook his head “Fine, you win.” Both men snapped out of it, momentarily disoriented.

“I’m sorry, what?” said Cisco, a smile breaking across his face.

Dr. Wells shot him a glare and Caitlin hid her smile. “I give up,” he said “This tiptoeing around the issue is much worse than any fallout from your romantic relationship ever could be.”

Barry and Cisco traded looks. Barry cleared his throat “So, you’re saying…?”

Dr Wells turned away with a sigh and an eye roll. He was halfway to the door before he replied “I’m saying, just kiss already.” 

Caitlin grinned, Cisco whooped and threw himself in a laughing Barry’s arms. 

They were good employees and good teammates, so as soon as they were alone they followed Dr. Well’s instructions pretty enthusiastically. 


End file.
